Territory



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.) I A. M. MEGKLEM.

- GRAIN SEPARAIOR. No. 407,542. Patented July 23, 1889.

INV'ENTOR N S E s BY ATTORNEYS.

N4 PETERS Hwlolidvognphr. Walllilqtm. ILC.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. M. MEGKLEM.

GRAIN SEPARATOR. No. 407,542. Patented July 23, 1889.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

N. Fzrzns; Pholo-Lmlognphan Wash ngton, at;

(No Model.)

Sheets-Sheet 3. A. M. MEGKLEM.

GRAIN SEPARATOR.

No. 407,542. Patented July 23, 1889.

ATTORNEYS.

N. FETERS PhnmLhhagnphar, Waihington. n4 l:v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARCHIBALD M. MECKLEM, OF OOLFAX, WASHINGTON TERRITORY.

G RAlN-SEPARATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,542, dated July 23,1889.

Application filed November 7, 1888- Serial No. 290,191. (No model.) 7

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, AROHIBALD M. MECK- LEM, residing at Colfax, in thecounty of NVhitman and Territory of WVashington, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Grain-Separators, of which the followingis a specification. 1

My invention relates to grain-separators; and it consists in the novelconstruction and peculiar combination of parts, as will be hereinafterfully described in the annexed specification, and particularly pointedout in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a side view of a grain-separator embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 is atransverse section on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail Viewhereinafter referred to. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the middle sieve.Fig. 6 is a detail View of the rack, and Fig. 7 is a detail view of thefeed-opening mechanism Referring to the accompanying drawings, Arepresents the main casing or frame of the machine, in one end of whichis mounted the fan or blower B, of ordinary construction.

0 indicates the feed-hopper, which is disposed about centrally of theupper edge of the machine, and which is provided with an adjustablefeed-gate c at its lower edge or opening, the construction of which willbe explained farther on.

Passing transversely across the machine and through thedischarge-opening is the drive-shaft D, which is provided with anagitator-wheel d, as shown.

E indicates the main drive-wheel, which is secured upon the outer end ofthe shaft D, and is provided with an operating-handle c.

F indicates the upper shoe, which is provided. with a tin angle-sieve ofa well-known construction.

f denotes the incline bottom of said shoe, the inner or lower end ofwhich is open, as at f. This shoe is pivotally supported in the frame bythe hangers G, which are secured one to each side of the shoe E, asshown at g. These hangers are secured to short links H at their upperends, which are pivoted to the casing, as at h, and at their lower endsthey are pivoted to crank-arms I, projecting from a rock-shaft J,journaled transversely in the casing, which shaft projects to one sideof easing, as at j, and has secured upon such end an upwardly-projectingarm K, provided with a friction-roller k in its upper end, said armbeing disposed close to the inner face of the drive-wheel E, as will beclearly seen in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

L are stops or projections secured upon the inner face of the wheel E,preferably one upon each spoke e of the wheel, as shown. Theseprojections are so arranged that they will successively come intocontact with the upper end of the arm K.

M M are castings secured to the sides of the casing just above the shoeF, which are provided with projections m m. (See Fig. 4.) Coiled springsN are secured at one end to each of the project-ions m m, and at theiropposite ends to inwardly-proj ectin g portions g g of the hangers G.The upper connection of each of the springs to the projections m ispreferable made adjustable by means of the short screw-threaded stem 1,to which the spring is secured, which passes through an aperture 2 inthe projection m and has secured upon its outer end the adjustingthumb-screw 3, as shown. By this construction the tension of the springsmay be readily adjusted.

By reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings it will be seen that the hangersare arranged diagonally upon the shoe F, and that the castings M arearranged in the same aligning plane. By this arrangement it will be seenthat when the shoe F is pulled down in a manner that will be presentlydescribed the tension on the spring will be in an almost direct line.

0 indicates the middle shoe, which is suspended from-two cross-bars 0 0by means of the links 0 o. In suspending the shoe 0 it is hung slightlyto one side of the casing, as shown in Fig. 3. This shoe is providedwith a square-meshed screen and a sheet-iron bottom 0 ,which inclinestoward one side, and is provided at its lower edge with a dischargespout0 which projects through an opening 5 in the side of the casing, fromwhich the screenings are discharged to the side of the machine, asshown.

The upper end of the shoe 0 projects under the discharge end of theupper shoe and from it receives the grain. In bearings 6 6, projectingto one side of the casing, is journaled a vertical rocking shaft '7,which is provided with a horizontal arm S,which extends through anopening 9 in the casing and is connected to one side of the shoe 0, andan arm or plate 10 projects outwardly from said shaft and has connectedtherewith a rod 11, the opposite end of which is connected with agear-wheel 12, mounted upon the outer end of the fanshaft, as shown. Bythis construction it will be seen that when the machine is in operationthe shoe 0 will receive, through the connection with the rock-shaft '7,an approximately vertical and lateral movement-21 8., it will rise goingone way and fall as it returns, and by the movement of the arm 8 will atthe same time be also moved laterally.

The lower shoe P is constructed similar to those now in use and is hungupon the arms 19 p, which are pivoted at their upper ends, as at p p. bymeans of a rockshaft P journaled transversely in the casing near thelower end of the shoe, which is provided with crank-arms 19 which areconnected by rods 1)" with the shoe.

p is an arm fixedly secured upon the projecting end of the shaft, towhich is adj ustablysecured the lower end of a connecting-rod p, whichis connected at its upper end to a gear-wheel Q, journaled to the sideof the easing and meshing with the wheels E and 12.

R denotes the rack or screen-cleaner,which vis disposed below and incontact with the screen in the lower shoe. This rack consists of thecentral transverse bar 0, the longitudinal side bars 7', and thecross-bars 9' as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 0 of the drawings. Thisrack is centrally supported upon a pivot-bolt S, which isscrew-threaded, and which passes through a screw threaded aperture 3 ina cross-bar S, secured to the frame. By this construction the rack-barmay be adjusted to or from the screen, as desired, and by its peculiarsupport the said bar will always accommodate itself to the diiferentmotions of the shoe P.

T is a screen-board arranged below the shoe P and rack R to run thescreenings under the machine.

The feed-gate 0, before referred to, is pivoted at its inner end upon across-rod, the end of which is extended, as at c, which has secured uponsaid end a hand-lever, the upper end of which engages a rack-bar 0 Bythis construction the size of the feed-opening in the hopper may beregulated.

U denotes a tail-board pivoted in the rear end of the machine,which canbe swung into position so as to 'run what is thrown off the upper shoeback into the mill.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The feed-opening in thehopper being properly adjusted, grain is admitted from the hop- Motionis imparted to the shoe P.

per on the angle-screen in the upper shoe. The drive-wheel being thenturned, the several projections on the inner face of the same willsuccessively strike the upper end of the arm K, each of the projectionsmoving the arm backward until it (the stop) passes over the end of thearm, said movement of the arm rocks the shaft forward and downward anddraws the hangers, with the shoe F, downward. As soon as each of theprojections passes the end of said arm K the spring N will. immediatelyjerk the shoe F back again until it strikes the projection m, which actsas a stop. In the present instance I have shown eight projections on thewheel E. It is there fore evident that there will be eight backward andforward throws of the shoe 1* to each revolution of the wheel E. Thus itwill be seen that the said shoe is continually being swung backward andforward with quick sudden jerks, which motion is more advantageous forcleaning anglesieves than the means new in use for accomplishing thesame results on machines of similar character. The grain then dischargesat the forward end of the shoe upon the middle sieve, which is vibratedin a manner previously described,the screenings from the same passing tothe side of the machine. The grain then falls upon the lower screen.From thence it passes out of the machine, the

screenings which fall on the board U being run under the machine.

Motion is imparted to the upper, middle, and lower shoes and to theshaft ina manner that will be elearl y understood by reference to thedrawings.

If desired, the stops and the arm K may be made adjustable, and thelength of the movement of the shoe F may thereby be increased ordecreased when desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The upper shoe provided with a sieve adapted to receive the grainfrom the hopper, said shoe pivotally hung at its upper end in the frame,a rock-shaft disposed transversely in the machine at the lower end ofthe shoe, a crank-arm I, connecting said shaft with the shoe, and anupwardly-prejecting arm K, secured upon the outer end of saidrock-shaft, in combination with the driveshaft D, the drive-wheel E,mounted thereon, provided with a series of project-ions L, adapted tosuccessively engage and pass the said arm K, and a spring attached tothe frame and to the upper edge of the shoe, whereby said shoe issuddenly drawn backward and upward when each projection L passes by thearm K, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

2. The COH'lblllZttlOl], with the shoe F, the hangers G, secured theretoand arranged diagonally across the same, and link-con n ections H 11between the upper ends of said bars and the frame, of a rock-shaft J,journaled trans- ITO versely in the frame near the lower end of the shoeF, a crank-arm I, secured to said shaft and connected to one of the armsG, a projecting arm K, secured upon the outer free end of said shaft, aspring secured to the shoe and frame to normally draw said shoebackward, and means, substantially as shown, for oscillating the arm K,all arranged substantially as shown, and for the purpose described.

3. The combination, with the shoe F, pivotally hung at its upper edge inthe main frame, a rock-shaft J, journaled transversely in the frame nearthe lower end of said shoe, a crank-arm connection between said shaftand the lower end of the shoe, and means, substantially as shown, forrocking the shaft, of a spring secured at its lower end to the upperedge of the shoe, its upper end secured to the frame above the rear endof the shoe, said spring normally drawing said shoe in an upward andrearward direction, and fixed stops m, secured to sides of the frameabove the upper edge of the shoe, as shown, and adapted to abruptlylimit the rearward and upward movement of said shoe after eachsuccessive rocking of the shaft J, substantially in the manner and forthe purpose described.

4. The combination, with the shoe F, bars or hangers G, secured to thesides thereof, said bars provided with lateral inwardly-pro j ectingmembers g at the upper ends thereof,

links H, pivoted to the frame and to the bars G, a rock-shaft J, journaled transversely in the frame near the lower end of the shoe, and acrank-arm connection between the bars G and the shaft J, of the castingsM, secured to the sides of the frame, thelower ends providedwithprojections forming fixed stops m, adapted to engage the projectingmembers g of the bars and limit the same in the rearward movementthereof, and the springs N, secured at their upper ends to the castingsM, their lower ends connected to the members 9 of the bars G, and meansfor rocking the shaft J, substantially as shown, and for the purposedescribed.

5. The combination, with the shoe P, hung in the lower portion of theframe, provided with a screen of the rack B, said rack centrallysupported upon a pivotrbolt S, said bolt supported in the framing of themachine, substantially as and for the purpose described.

ARCHIBALD M. MECKLEM.

\Vitn esses:

E. W. TALBOTT, A. A. WILsoN.

